SA’s controversial multibillion-rand arms deal comes under the spotlight tomorrow when former deputy president Jacob Zuma makes his third court appearance in the Durban regional court, despite government efforts to separate Zuma’s troubles from the weapons deal, write Vukani Mde and Karima Brown.

Zuma will be indicted along with French arms dealer Thint Holdings and its South African subsidiary, Thint SA, on corruption charges, flowing from Thint’s contract to supply combat suites for the navy’s new corvettes. Thint was part of the German consortium that won a major slice of the deal.

Since Zuma’s appearance last month, the game has moved up a gear, as the state acted swiftly to finalise a high court date, and added the French company as Zuma’s co-accused.

With the addition of Thint, the spectre of the executive’s worst nightmare being realised moved closer. The inclusion of the company places in doubt government’s insistence that there was no significant irregularity with the deal, and that no further investigation of it was necessary.

It now seems likely that one of the unintended consequences of the trial will be that President Thabo Mbeki will get a reappraisal of the deal, whether he wants it or not.

Critics have long argued that the executive’s explanation of events around the arms deal left many unanswered questions.

This was to deflect criticism once it became clear that former African National Congress chief whip Tony Yengeni had received kickbacks from one of the minor suppliers.

With acknowledgements to Vukani Mde, Karima Brown and the Business Day.